Sports
United Rugby Needs Players!

By Garth McLennan, sports editor

 

 

Tuesdays from 6:30-8:00pm at Maple
Creek Middle School. The second
practice time is on Thursdays from 7:30-
9:00pm at the Justice Institute Field, just
by Canada Games Pool.

Game times for men are on Saturdays.
11:00am for the third division players,
1:00pm for the second division team,
and 2:30pm for the first division.

Season fees for all players, both male
and female, are $300. However, there
is a discount for students enrolled full-
time at Douglas College. For Douglas
students, the cost is just $200.

The women’s teams run practices
on Mondays and Thursdays, both from
6:30pm until 8:00pm. The Monday
practices are at Justice Institute Field,
while the Thursday ones are at Maple
Creek. The team is coached by Brad

 

Unites rugby club, which is a fusion

 

of the old Douglas and Pocomo rugby
clubs, wants new players of all skill
levels to get out and join both their men’s
and women’s teams.

There are three separate divisions
for players, which range in skill and
commitment level from highly focused
players right down to players who just
want to go out for a good time and get
some exercise.

The men’s team is coached by Michael
Collins and assistant Steve Pulford. The
season runs from September until April,
so there is still plenty of time to get

Walters. There are two divisions for
women: the premier and first divisions.

The premier division runs its games
on Saturdays at either 11:30am or
1:00pm. The first division games are
also on Saturdays, with games scheduled
at 11:30am.

For younger people, United Rugby also
runs women’s development programs,
junior boy’s and girl’s rugby, and mini
rugby for kids under 11.

The United Rugby clubhouse is located
at 921 Sherwood Avenue in Coquitlam.
Rugby is a great game which can be a
lot of fun. Come out and see what it’s

involved. Men’s practice times are on
all about.

 

 

Stephan Ames Closes Out the

Golf Year With Success

By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor

 

oe Stephan Ames was triumphant in the
final event of the 2007 PGA season from November 1-
4, winning the Disney Classic.

Ames, 43, shot 68 on the final day, with a score of
271 for the tournament. Ames birdied holes 13, 14, and
15 before shooting par on the final three. He receives a
two-year exemption on the tour and a winner’s prize of

16

$828,000. It was Ames’s first victory this year and third
of his career. The win secures him a spot in the season
opening Mercedes Championship in Hawaii from
January 3-6. Only winners from the previous season are
permitted to compete in the Mercedes event.

American Tim Clark finished second 272, just one
shot behind Ames. He had a fabulous final round,
shooting 66 and picking up the second place prize
amount of $496,800. Scott Verplank was tied for the
lead with Ames heading into Sunday, but fell back to
a three-way tie for third place with Robert Gamez and
Tad Ridings. All three of them earned $239,200, and
finished with a score of 274, three back of Ames.

It had been a trying year for Ames, who spent most
of this season retooling his swing, determined to hit the
ball further and higher. Ames was pained by an ailing
back that didn’t coordinate well with his previous
swing. So he overhauled the entire thing. Ames appears
to have his swing back now, and is excited to be heading
into the exclusive Mercedes, which is considered one
of the PGA Tour’s premier tournaments.

“This is awesome and it’s nice to be back in the
winner’s circle. We were planning to go to Maui for
Christmas anyhow and now we have another reason to
go,” said Ames.